The Romanian nuclear sector is currently facing operational challenges as Nuclearelectrica announced an extended shutdown of Unit 2 at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant. This follows an automatic disconnection from the national grid on 4 May, triggered by a fault in an insulator linked to one of the unit’s power transformers.
The incident activated the plant’s automatic protection systems, ensuring a safe and controlled shutdown. Nuclearelectrica has confirmed that the outage is part of a controlled outage procedure, which allows for necessary repairs and replacements to be conducted in compliance with stringent nuclear safety standards and technical regulations. The maintenance work will involve replacing the faulty transformer with a backup system, which is anticipated to prolong the unit’s offline status.
Despite this setback, Nuclearelectrica has reassured stakeholders that there was no risk posed to nuclear safety during the incident, as all safety mechanisms functioned correctly. The plant’s operational integrity remains a priority as the company navigates these repairs.
Simultaneously, plans are underway for Unit 1 at Cernavodă, which is set to enter a scheduled maintenance outage starting on 10 May. This planned downtime will allow engineers to conduct thorough inspections, technical tests, and maintenance activities, alongside system upgrades aimed at ensuring ongoing safe and efficient operations.
The Cernavodă nuclear power plant is Romania’s sole nuclear facility, operating two CANDU reactors. It plays a vital role in the country’s energy landscape, contributing significantly to the baseload power supply within Romania’s electricity generation mix.
